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Making my travel trailer stable when parked

samwalker
Explorer
Explorer
Have a 26' Rainier travel trailer. When we are parket at our sit with all four jacks down and the trailer being level, it shakes when we walk across the room. How to I make it more stable so it doesn't shake?
Appreciate it. Have tried adding fifth and sixth frame jacks about mid-length, but still shakes when we walk.
29 REPLIES 29

silverfz
Explorer
Explorer
After a year I sort have this down. Its a lot better now . I use a X choke on my dual axle wheels on one side and 2 chock on the other side. Also threw away the flimsy rear scissors and replaced them with camping world 6500 LBS scissors. Once down it improve the stability dramatically.
Now the scissor jacks flexing proportional to how much you have expanded them.
so now I carry 4 of those lync stabilizer of 10 piece. I try to keep the scissor jacks as compressed as possible.

this is very close and easy as we travel a lot of never stay long term anywhere. If we do I would probably carry a cement block. I just carry 1 for the tongue to prevent excessive flexing.
2014 avenger 28 bhs
2008 Toyota tundra crew max
guarded by bear the mini dashound
running from payload police edition

justafordguy
Explorer
Explorer
X2, the BAL 23216 Lock-Arm Stabilizing Bars work very well for taking the shake out. I used them on all 4 stabilizer jacks plus the X-chocks on my last TT and it was very solid.
2015 Heartland Gateway 3650BH
2017 F350 CCLB KR FX4
2005 F250 CC FX4
77 Bronco, 302,C4,PS,PB,A/C,33" KM2s,D44/Lock-Right,9"/Grizzly locker

PAAK
Explorer
Explorer
With the stabilizer jacks down and I also you an x-chok on both sides. it is more stable than ever.
2011 Ford F-250 6.7L Diesel
2011 Creek Side 23RKS

Chuck_thehammer
Explorer
Explorer
as before home-made x-chocks and (2) 2 ton bottle jacks... in front of wheels...

as I am NOT a light weight... and do NOT want to wake up Wife by making trailer rocking as I walk..

this Works. short of cinder blocks. LOL.:)

dwayneb236
Explorer
Explorer
X Chocks definitely helped with ours. Not a complete answer but greatly reduced the movement. If my wife noticed it was better then that tells me all I need to know.
2016 Ford F350 XLT DRW 6.7 SuperCrew 4X4 8 Ft Box
2016 Brookstone 395RL

GrumpyGator
Explorer
Explorer
I just installed a set of Steady-Fast stabilizers on my TT and it is rock solid. I didn't think this would ever happen. These add-ons are spot on. Very impressed with them. Company offers guarantee and you can call the owner for install help. Who does that these days?
2015 Keystone Passport Elite 23RB

_tiredTeacher
Explorer II
Explorer II
GaryWT wrote:
Short of putting it up on cement blocks you will get movement, just life on wheels. Items talked about will help some, some more than others, but it will not be perfect.

And not worth the money, added set up time, storage of components, etc. We put the OEM stabs down and live with it.

Teach
Wright and Penny
2010 Tundra 4X4
2014 Rockwood 2604WS
"Life is a cruel teacher. She gives the test first; the lesson then follows."

myredracer
Explorer II
Explorer II
The Steady-Fast stabilizer struts work well and there's also similar ones - BAL Lock Arm, Ultra Fab Eliminator and JT's Strongarm. I recently installed a pair of the BAL struts at the rear and they work extremely well. One nice thing about the BAL struts is that they sell them in pairs only.

We bought 4 of the aluminum stacking jacks earlier this year. They only extend up to 17" tall and our frame is 24" above the ground which means using a bunch of wood blocks to build the height up. I've found for our TT that the BAL stabilizer struts do a better job and only use the jacks if camping for more than 2-3 days and want to min. bounce as much as possible. I have found that a set of bottle jacks ahead of the axles helps.

Doug33
Explorer
Explorer
Your susceptibility to movement is enhanced by how high your TT sits off the ground. Ours is very high, so it is very difficult to block with jacks, etc.

Also, our axles are very spread out (more than 18 inches between tires) so use of x-chicks is not practical. I do place two scissor jacks mid frame which helps some with bouncing. However, if you are sitting on the throne in the back of the TT and someone is moving around in the front bedroom, you are going to feel it.
2014 Keystone Bullet 281BHS
2002 Chevy Avalanche 5.3L 4x4
Equalizer hitch
Nights spent camping in 2015: 25
Next trip: mid-April 2016?

GrumpyGator
Explorer
Explorer
Anyone have any experience with the Steady-Fast Stabilizers?
2015 Keystone Passport Elite 23RB

mtofell1
Explorer
Explorer
Basically, you need more bearing points and things to limit lateral movement. The X-chocks help but likely won't be the drastic change you are looking for. I've often thought of placing bottle jacks under the frame in a few places to see how much of an improvement it makes. Some diagonal bracing to the ground would be ideal to help the lateral movement. In the end I just live with it and remember it's not a house.

2012Coleman
Explorer II
Explorer II
I'm about to order a set of these - on sale at Camping World for 19.79 Going to set them up by the wheels on either side

Experience without good judgment is worthless; good judgment without experience is still good judgment!

2018 RAM 3500 Big Horn CTD
2018 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS

Chuck_thehammer
Explorer
Explorer
bobndot wrote:
http://forums.woodalls.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/19777656/srt/pa/pging/1/page/240.cfm


thank you

I tried to copy and paste the one photo. could not figure it out.

patperry2766
Explorer II
Explorer II
Valterra stabilizer

My wife bought one of these, and we have had it in the box in the camper for over a year. I broke it out our last trip and it made a significant difference.

Were gonna buy another one for the back of the camper and possible one for the slide out
Courage is the feeling you have right before you fully understand the situation